Written by

Hamlet Fort

The Tennessean

Tennessee’s charter schools have outpaced traditional public school growth in reading and mathematics in 2013, according to a study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University.

The new study also found Tennessee tied with Rhode Island for the highest student learning growth in reading, with a gain of 86 additional days of learning in the subject. Tennessee’s charter school students were also found to have gained an additional 72 learning days in mathematics.

“The Tennessee Charter Schools Association believes that growth is the most significant measure of how well a school is serving its student population, so we are truly pleased to see that Tennessee’s charter schools are making such a strong impact on student gains,” said Tennessee Charter Schools Association Executive Director Matt Throckmorton.

The study partially attributes the positive figures to the fact that Tennessee charter school students, like those in other southeastern states, are mostly low-income students who perform better than they would in a traditional public school.

“The results reveal that the charter school sector is getting better on average and that charter schools are benefiting low-income, disadvantaged, and special education students,” said Dr. Margaret Raymond, director of CREDO at Stanford University.

This fall, Tennessee is projected to have an estimated 70 charter schools serving more than 16,500 students, according to the Tennessee Charter Schools Association.